Thursday, July 8, 2010

the summer mantle

A few photographs of the summer living room mantle, as requested!

The antique chinese blue and white temple jars have stayed., as have the pair of antique mercury glass candlesticks and the English sterling-rimmed match strike. A piece of white coral, a coral fan, a shell and a shell fossil have replaced the conks!

We are thrilled with our recent find of the antique oil painting. It depicts a New Hampshire scene, and is a view that we see quite often across the state. The frame is original, but will have to be restored, as it has been painted with gold paint.
The fan coral was purchased in Maine; I love it's lacy quality. Tucked behind the temple jar you can see the shell fossil.

And, it's definitely summer here- we've been in the upper 90's this week. Today is a warm and humid 86 degrees. We are very grateful that we put in central AC when doing the renovation! Hope you are staying cool!

27 comments:

Hi Joan,Your mantle is exquisite. I thought I was mezmerized by conks...I love the fan and shell fossil just as much. Just the right mix of summer and sophistication. I admire how you choose pieces for your home that are timeless, one of a kind and just beautiful ~Thanks for sharing - I always love to see pictures of your home. Have a lovely day!Sarah

This is such a lovely composition.It's artful and crisp and fresh.The lovely white mantel and the prints on the wall make a harmonious and cool setting.Best of all: it is all spotless and calm and peaceful. Lovely.Cheers, DIANEwww.thestylesaloniste.com

Hello dear Joan! Your sense of design is just breathtaking. The mantle, the room...it's all just beautiful. And I so love how you incorporate gorgeous works of nature into your home. It's so wonderful to celebrate those works of art made by dear old Mother Nature. xoHugs, Trina

Hi Joan! Thank you for your wonderful comment on my post about my folk's new dog, Kate! I love your living room ~ it's exactly the kind of decorating that I like....I'm SO happy that you found my blog : ) Since you love the same types of things that I do, you should pop over to my giveaway, as I'm asking for design advice and YOU might have the perfect idea. Your dog is precious and I love your quote about simplicity. I'm going to enjoy following you! xx Suzanne

I absolutely love your arrangement - the shell fossil is so pretty and delicate and pairs nicely with those Chinese jars!It has finally cooled down here a bit today so I'm feeling a little more like myself after walking around like an overheating zombie the past few days!! : )

Welcome! Thank you for leaving a comment; you have no idea how much your comments inspire me to keep writing- I appreciate each and every one. Comments are moderated by me prior to publishing on the blog, so if you don't see your comment post immediately it will be posted as soon as I receive it and read it. joan

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"when every corner speaks of possibility I know that I am home." -unknown-

Twelve years ago I could not have even pointed out New Hampshire on a map, but here we are! Nine years ago, after living for 15 years in the beehive that is Dallas, Dan and I finally escaped and landed in a very small town in New Hampshire that doesn't even have a traffic light. Perfection! Our move was a huge risk, but it has paid off with dividends and we absolutely love it here. I think we are really Yankees at heart. If you've never been to New England I cannot describe it with adequate words, you really just have to experience it. It is like no other part of the country. Its beauty matches our beloved Colorado, Oregon, and Washington and its spirit (Live Free or Die) is reminiscent of Texas, and the people... well, we have found them to be most genuine. In essence... we feel as if we have arrived home!

the living room

the kitchen

the dining room

the reading room

the master bedroom

the master bath

the North guest room

the South guest room

the guest bath

the barn room

the summer barn room

the barn half bath

the barn mud room

With the eyes to see it and the hands to create it, we can recover the home that the soul desires.
-A. Lawlor-

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fortheloveofahouse@comcast.net

my paint and stain colors:

It's a house with rooms that reflect a place, a feeling, a memory of the past.-unknown-

Simplicity-Making your life a creative work of art. A great piece of art is composed not just of what is in the final piece, but equally important, what is not. It is the discipline to discard what does not fit- to cut out what might have already cost days or even years of effort.